Monday, 17 October 2011

Investigations into Amtrak Train Accident in Oakland

Investigations have already begun into an Amtrak train accident at the Oakland station, in which one train crashed into another, injuring seventeen people. The accident occurred last week when the first train, which was traveling through the station, struck a stationary train. The second train had stopped at the station to unload passengers.

The accident seems to have been a low-speed collision involving the “San Joaquin” which operates between Bakersfield and Oakland, and the “Coast Starlight,” which operates between Los Angeles and Seattle. Seventeen were injured, and rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, there were no life-threatening injuries. According to the Oakland Fire Department, the first train ran a red light. However, Amtrak has refused to confirm or deny that report.

The investigation will include Amtrak, investigating officials from the Federal Railroad Administration and Union Pacific Railroad, which is the owner of the track. Federal investigators are likely to examine a number of factors including cell phone records, and especially cell phone exchanges between dispatchers. Investigators will also talk to crewmembers as part of their investigations. The investigations are expected to take up to six months to complete.

This is the second time in just a month that Los Angeles train accident lawyers have found Amtrak passengers injured in a train accident. The earlier accident occurred in the Bay Area too. On September 30, 37 passengers and crew members suffered injuries in an accident involving an Amtrak passenger train that crashed into a truck at a crossing near Brentwood. That train accident is being blamed on a lack of visibility at the crossing. There were apparently no lights or gates at the crossing when the accident occurred. Fortunately, in this accident too, injuries were not life-threatening.